Draft-rigging



G. E. THACKRAY.

DRAFT RIGGING.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. I0. 1920.

1,389,793, y Pandsept. 6,1921.

IIII* F I l INVENTOR go.I

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DRAFT-RIGGING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 6, 1921.-

Applieation led March 10, 1920. Serial No. 364,618.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. THACKRAY, a citizen of the United States, and a. resident of the borough 'of lVestmont, county of Cambria, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and 4useful Improvements in Draft-Rigging; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in draft rigging for mine or other cars with the object of sim lifying and strengthening the constructiont ereof.

vIn certain prior draft rigging devices the draw bar yoke has at the rear end a reduced section and it is therefore liable to breakage from the constant effect of buiing or pulling. This breakage not only ties up equipment and causes delay, but is a frequent source of damage and causes runaway cars, collisions, derailments, etc., with consequent injury or destruction to men and materials. It is also more expensive to produce a yoke of the type mentioned with reduced rear portions, and economy and greater strength may be obtained by using a draw-bar yoke of constant section, thereby reducing the tendency to break and eliminating the evil effects resultant therefrom.

I also provide an inner member of constant section, wsecured or riveted to the outer draw-bar yoke, and thereby produce a more rigid design and one better adapted to withstand the shocks and wear to which the parts are subjected from the constant buiiing and pulling effects when in use.

-My invention is particularly adapted t0 mine or other cars made of metal and is so fashioned that a art of the car floor serves as a center sill, tlie latter roviding a suitable receptacle for the draft rigging.

Having thus given a general description of my invention, I will now, in order t0 make the matter more clear, refer to the annexed sheet of drawings, which forms part of this specification, and in which like characters refer to like parts.

Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal sectional elevation taken on the line I-I of Fig. 2, showing my improved draft rigging and enough of the car to illus, trate the application of my invention; Fig. 2 is a top plane view of the draft rigging and a portion of the car body to which it is secured; Fig 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional lelevation similar toy Fig. 1, showing a slightly modified form of my improved draft rigging; Fig. 4 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line IV-IV of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a face view of one of the-follower plates; and Fig. 6 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line VI-VI of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the characters of reference on the drawings :-1 is a part of the car body having the trough shaped central portion 2, over which is fastened at each end of the car the trough shaped reinforcing plate 3. The end sheet 4 of the car has mounted on it the bumper plate 5. The cheek plate 6 over the draw-bar and the draft gear sup orting plate 8 have in them the holes 7 an 9 respectively in which the reduced ends of the front follower block 10 and the rear follower block 11 fit and slide. The outer draw-bar yoke 12 and the inner member 13 are of substantially constant section throughout. The buffer 14 is a special shaped metal piece, the draw-head'being an integral part thereof and is riveted to both the draw-bar yoke l2 and the member 13. 15 shows a type of corrugated spring plates adapted for use with this draft rigging, or if preferred, helical springs `19 may be used as shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a modification in which the design is strengthened by the addition of the supporting plate 16, which has riveted thereto the bottom cheek plate 17 rovided with holes 18 in which Athe ends of the follower blocks 10 and l1 lit and slide.

The cheek plates themselves are provided i with the slots 7 and 18 therein, and the end portions of the same are securely riveted by a number of rivets` to the car or supporting member andthe central portion between the slots is also riveted so as to provide very substantial stops for the follower plates and have a large number of rivets which 'are qf greater Strength than any bufling or pulling stresses to which the stop will be subjected, so that the construction is very substantial. The cheek plates are also of considerable thickness to provide ample bearing and contact surfaces. The draft gear support plate as shown in Fig. 1 serves as a bottom cheek plate but as illustrated in this is supplemented by another stop p ate 17, the construction and securing of which is similar to that of the upper stop plate 6.

It will readily be seen that my invention provides a firmly mounted draft rigging and lsince the draw-bar members are of constant section throughout, the ullworking strength of the metal is available in every part o the draw-bar and particularly'so at the inner end Where the shocks are absorbed through the springs and thence conveyed to the car. Although I have described and illustrated my invention 'in considerable detail, I do not wish to be limited to the exact and specific details thereof as shown and described, but may use such modifications in, substitutions for, orequivalents thereof,as are embraced within the scope of my invention, or as pointed out in the claims.

' Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a draft rigging, a bar of U-shape having its ree ends extending outwardly, another shorter bar bent into link-form and secured to and within the first mentioned bar, the freeends of said shorter bar projecting inwardly toward each other, and a draw-bar headl and buffer abutting said free ends and secured to the aforesaid bars.

2. In a draft rigging, an outer U-shaped bar having its free ends extending outwardly in opposite directions, an inner U-shaped bar secured to said outer bar` and having its free' ends extending inwardly in opposite directions, and an integrally formed drawiead and buler secured to the sides of said ars.

3. In a draft rigging, a draw-bar recess, a draw-bar slidably mounted therein, and comprising a bar of U-shape having its free ends extending outwardly and another shorter bar bent into link form `and secured Within the first mentioned bar, the free ends of said shorter bar projecting inwardly toward each other.

In witness whereof I hereunto aiiixmy signature.

GEORGE E. THACKRAY. 

